Unorthodox Ways for Dentists to help Keep Patients Calm

There is no arguing that going to the dentists can be anxiety inducing. Especially if there is a traumatic experience or unfamiliarity involved. That is why dentists, orthodontists, and by extension, doctors do their best to help their patients calm down. This not only makes the experience better for the patient, but it makes the environment easier for the doctors to work in.

But not all people respond to various techniques the same way. Sometimes, conversation, sedation, or other basic methods of patient bedside manner may not work for various reasons. That is where dentists in Austin, TX and abroad try unorthodox methods to keep their patients calm before, during, or after the procedure.

Service Animals Interacting with Patients

One of the most recently creative ways to help patients with their own anxiety is the employment of a service animal. That is the case for Bluegrass Dental in Kentucky. Dr Stamper, a dentist, noticed that his patients were getting anxious both before or after the procedure. He also noticed that his new 6-year-old adopted black lab, Turbo, not only enjoyed training but also enjoyed visiting people.

So, he trained his rescue to be a service dog. The results spoke for themselves. It went without a hitch and has garnered positive results for both dentists and patients. They are mindful of people who don’t like dogs, or have allergies. However, there has been nothing but positivity from the experience.

“He seemed to comfort patients and sort of break down those walls and allow them to open up, so I can provide the best dental care possible,” said Dr. Stamper.

Benefits of Service Dogs

So, how does this work? What is it about service animals that makes patients respond so positively to them? And how do they seem to know what we need before we do?

For starters, it has been an evolutionary trait for dogs to both read the expressions of humans and use eye contact to communicate. According to animal behaviorist, Takefumi Kikusui, “Our data suggest that owner-dog bonding is comparable to human parent-infant bonding, that is, oxytocin-mediated eye-gaze bonding,” Kikusui said. “And this is surprising to us because there is not a reproductive relationship between human and dogs, but both of them have acquired similar skills.”

Naturally occuring oxytocin through bonding with another animal, increases our level of happiness, decreases our heart rate and our blood pressure, which is very useful in times of high anxiety. So, it is a viable solution for patient anxiety. The dogs get the same feeling too, so it is a win-win situation for both human and animal.

Music Therapy for Dental Patients

Another unorthodox way to keep calm about any upcoming procedures is adjusting your music. People have strong attachments to music because we attribute them to an emotional state. It is how we can gain the context for a scene of a movie. It is also a way of communication that predates human speech. Also, it speaks to us on a fundamental level, before we are even born.

For the last 5 years, at the Northwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Wa, the NICU area has seen benefits from music therapy. Premature and sick babies are in a delicate stage of life and require all the encouragement they need to recover. Music therapist, Susan Bakuros, would sing, play guitar, and hum to the rythym of a mother’s heartbeat, simulating a feeling of comfort of a mother’s womb.

This rythm can help slow down a baby’s respritory rate, and keep them from overworking themselves while feeding or getting too anxious.

But what is it about music that moves us so much?

Our Brains on Music

The interesting thing about music is that we react to it. Philosopher and composer Leonard Meyer suggested that emotion in music is all about what we expect, and whether or not we get it.

“Meyer drew on earlier psychological theories of emotion, which proposed that it arises when we’re unable to satisfy some desire. That, as you might imagine, creates frustration or anger – but if we then find what we’re looking for, be it love or a cigarette, the payoff is all the sweeter.”

Because the music creates a series of patterns based off a predictable ‘call’ and ‘response’. When we start to predict these patterns successfully, our brains reward us with dopamine. Dopanime is a feel good chemical that are associated with pleasureable things, or rewards like good food.

This means that there if you utilize the right kind of music, you might increase the chances of your patients being able to relax.

Dentists in Austin, TX can use these techniques and more to keep patients calm and more likely to relax. Because we should be able to have many tools at our disposal for better patient care.

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Beth

Beth S. has been in the dental field for over 15 years. She helps in the front office (insurance claims, answering calls), as well as assists clinically with Drs. Fossum and Tucker. Beth helps make your your appointment is smooth and efficient as possible. Beth enjoys outdoor activities and spending time with her family.

John

John has been a Registered Dental Assistant since 2004 and has been with Austin Family Dentist since late 2016. He enjoys his role in the office helping provide caring and quality dentistry to our patient community. John is here to help w/ any and all questions and to help your dental appointment run smoothly. John enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 children. During some of his free time, he provides meals and dental essentials to the homeless. John is a big Dallas Cowboys fan.

Jill

Jill has been a Registered Dental Assistant since 2006. She worked with Dr. Tucker for 2 years, at another office, before following him to Austin Family Dentist in the fall of 2009. Jill loves to interact with patients and getting to know them on a more personal level. She does her best to make the overall dental experience a positive one. In her free time she loves spending time w/ her family and enjoying all of Austin’s beautiful sights.

Jennifer

Jennifer works the front office at Austin Family Dentist. She has been in the dental field for over 15 years, so ask any questions and she will probably have the answer, or know where to get it. Jennifer has been with Austin Family Dentist since 2008. She enjoys spending her free time her daughter, Amaris. They love to travel together, take lots of pictures, and make memories together.

Ying

Ying is one of our two full time Dental Hygienists. She has been with Austin Family Dentist since November 2015. She is fluent in two languages (Chinese and English) and still knows some Japanese. Ying has a degree in international business, and earned her Registered Dental Hygiene degree from Austin Community College. Ying enjoys traveling, photography, sports, gardening, sewing, and making new friends in Austin. Ying has a gentle touch and is very detail oriented. She strives to make each and every patient have a welcoming, educating, and pleasant experience at Austin Family Dentist.

Shireen

Shireen is one of our two full time hygienists. She grew up on San Antonio where she received her bachelor’s degree in Biology and attended the Health Science Center for Dental Hygiene. In her spare time Shireen enjoys attending concerts (she is a huge music lover). She always enjoys outdoor activities and being with friends.

Melissa

Melissa has been a registered dental assistant since 2010. She is one of the ladies who will be greeting you when you walk in the door. She enjoys working at Austin Family Dentist because she loves working in a fun, friendly, family-oriented atmosphere. Although she is an RDA, she mainly specializes in handling the insurance, scheduling, and treatment coordinating. Melissa enjoys helping patients change their perception of dentistry and restoring smiles inspires her everyday. If you ever have any questions Melissa is here to help answer any and all of your questions.

In her free time, Melissa enjoys being outdoors, trying new foods, cooking, crafting, listening to live music, and most importantly, spending time with her family.

Brent E Fossum

DDS

Dr. Brent Fossum was born and raised in Rapid City, South Dakota, and has lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and several cities in Texas. His extended family includes seven dentists including three brothers in his immediate family, all of whom graduated from the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston, and three great uncles, also brothers, who graduated from the Chicago College of Dental Surgery, the first being Dr. Albert Fossum, who received his DDS Degree in 1898…

Brian D Tucker
(Owner)

DMD, FAGD (Owner)

Dr. Tucker was born and raised in New Jersey. He received his Baccalaureate of Science in Biology at The College of New Jersey. Dr. Tucker went on to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey where he received his Dental degree as a Doctor of Medical Dentistry. During his senior year…